#powered reader

You didn’t know how much time had passed since you all started the ambush. Tall sequoias canopied above blocking the setting sun. The air was thick with smoke and heavy from the fighting. You heard multiple teammates calling for healing, but none was louder than Thor. His troubled voice blasted through the comms, “Medic! We need a healer quickly!” His deep command tore you away from the battle you were in and you fought your way over to him. “Priestess, please! Come quick!”

Through fire and volley, you found Thor kneeling on the ground with Loki in his arms. Lifeless. Steve was circling them, trying to shield the brothers from a barrage of attacks.

You knelt on the ground. Your knees hit soft mud as your eyes scanned Loki’s body. His sharp face was paler than usual. Blue-ish tint had started to stain his lips. And your naïve-self hoped it was just because of the cold seeping from the wet ground. “Thor, I’ll take it from here. Go help Steve. I can’t worry about my life when I have to worry about his!”

Thor nodded to you. But before he laid Loki down, he whispered in his ear, “I know you are stronger than this, brother. But I swear on Yggdrasil if you are pretending, I will not hesitate to cleave Stormbreaker into you.” Thor sniffed and placed him down to the ground.

You nodded your head and patted Thor’s shoulder. “He’ll be fine,” you feigned, as you tried to get a better look at what had happened. You didn’t have the heart to tell Thor that you could feel how thin and fragile Loki’s life string was. A hair, compared to the cord that we all have. Worse, the thick rope that the Asgardian’s life used to be. You didn’t even know if you were skilled enough to weave it stronger.

There was a large gaping hole that tore Loki’s chest plate. His skin had burned and was raw from the impact. You couldn’t see any entry wounds. Nor blood. But the bruising and dent on his chest was not a good sign. A stray missile, perhaps? Maybe jumping in the way to save his brother. They vex each other constantly. But deep down they care for each other like most siblings do.

You straddled his body, holding your two hands out, placing them over his wound. A soft resonance emitted from your palm down to his skin. You kept your hands on him as the pulse of your powers worked their way through his body. You can see tiny mends of his scrapes and scratches. The raw skin around the wound had returned to their usual pallor.  He’s reacting at least. There’s still some life in him- whatever little is left.

You persisted. With every pulse, you can see his wounds healing. Ribs cracking back into place. The blue on his lips retreated ever so slowly. But his lifeline was stubborn. If you could hold out just long enough, his own regenerative powers might kick in.

Grasping at straws, your mind quickly raced with ideas to help speed the process along. You remembered that sometimes, shock was a good way of knocking someone back into the land of the living. “Ugh, don’t get mad at me, okay? I’m only trying to save your life,” you vowed out loud in case he was able to hear you. You quickly pulled your palm back and slapped Loki hard across his cheek.

Small capillaries burst where your hand met his face. Aside from the new hue, Loki had remained the same. Still and quiet. His line fading from your grasp. You panicked at your failed attempt.

You didn’t know what to do anymore. You didn’t know how to tell Thor that you couldn’t save his only brother. Ideas and thoughts ran past your mind all muddled and incoherent. Ways and spells. Teachings and theories you’ve learned on healing and regeneration.

You cupped Loki’s cheek, healing the bruise you had left. Your brows knit together, puzzled as to what to do next. Hopeless in feeling and thought. You didn’t want to look up. You didn’t want to see Thor’s face and have to tell him an awful truth. They had just reunited this past year. It wasn’t fair. And it would be all your fault because you couldn’t save him. You couldn’t save Loki. Your heart turned solemn as angry tears threatened to drop from your eyes.

By now the fighting had stopped. You didn’t realize how quiet the world had gotten around you. How still the air was from flying projectiles or weapons. The team gathered loosely. Giving you space to try and save Loki’s life, but the look on their faces betrayed the faith they were trying to offer you.

Your thumb brushed Loki’s cheek, wiping away the mud that speckled his face. He would’ve been appalled if he knew where Thor had left him on the ground. You smirked at the thought as your thumb rested on his chin and traced his lips.

His cold lips opened slightly at your touch, and you were struck with an idea.  You grabbed both sides of his leather collars and brought him to sit up towards you. His slack weight was heavier than you anticipated, and it took your remaining strength to sit him upright. You closed your eyes as your lips crashed into his, honing your powers into that desperate kiss.

You had never done this before. You had never needed to do this before. But you were hoping that your breath of life could pass onto him and carry him through till his own powers could take over. You sucked hard on his upper lip, not wanting to break any contact. Your fingers entwined themselves in his hair, desperate to keep him close to you. “Please. Please. Please,” you whispered into his mouth. Tears fell from your eyes and landed on his cheek. Your arms wrapped around his neck, unwilling to let go. Unwilling to accept the truth.

Still, you continued.

You felt a low rumble from his chest. A hopeful sign that it’s working. You just needed to hold on a little bit longer! You opened your lips for a breath of your own. And when you closed your mouth around his, your power pulsated in between you.

You felt his temperature return first. The warmth in his lips, the heat in his breath. You could feel his lifeline winding itself tighter and stronger.

His mouth returned your kiss. Sluggish and tentative. But they held on to your lips, tightly. His hands embraced your hips so delicately you didn’t even know they were there. You naturally leaned into the kiss more. Your power still pulsing through you. One last intake of breath and you passed it along towards Loki.

His grip tightened around you and he pulled you closer onto his lap. His arms snaked around you, holding your head close to his, unwilling to let you go.  You could hear small groans and heavy panting. But you honestly didn’t know whether it came from you or from Loki.

His tongue touched your lips, asking for entry. Catching your breath you opened your mouth once again and Loki gainfully ran his tongue inside against the roof of your mouth.

You didn’t realize that your powers had finished. With nothing left to heal, your powers subsided. But you were so lost in the kiss that you had forgotten where you were and what you were doing. Slowly, you pulled away. But Loki’s kiss followed you unwilling to release you. You bit his bottom lip as a warning, holding his face in between your hands.

“Darling, what an indecent way to ask me out,” Loki grinned from ear to ear. His voice was rough and garbled. He kept his face close to yours, running his nose against your cheek. “I accept!”

The world came crashing back around you. The time. The place. The situation. The shock froze you in place just staring into Loki’s blue-green eyes. “I always thought you harbored affections for me. But now I am certain,” he taunted.

You slapped him.

You couldn’t think of anything else to do. You felt betrayed somehow. Tricked. Even though you knew that he was genuinely in peril. The fact that he was joking about it even now, irked you.

Loki’s eyes narrowed. His brow furrowed as he slowly turned his head to face you again. His chin jutted out, trying to contain the smirk that was coming forth. “Is that how you like it?”

You tried to push yourself off of him. You’ve had enough of his antics. You were utterly embarrassed at being caught in this situation. Especially with the team around, surely watching.

He caught your wrists as you pushed on his chest, stopping you. “Do it again,” he commanded. His grin was out in full force now. Dazzling you to the last inch of your nerve.

“Ugh, the thanks I get for saving your life!” pushing him down as you stood yourself up. “Next time I’ll just leave you limp in the mud.” You sneered, walking away with your head held high and your face heated and red. From humiliation or from desire, you didn’t know.

“Well, that’s very hard to do when you’re kissing me like that, my angel,” Loki yelled after you. He couldn’t stop smiling as he watched you angry and flustered. All because of him. Oh, I’m in trouble.

“What do I gotta do to get a kiss like that?” Bucky asked teasingly as you stomped passed him.

“Die!” you growled back at him. The words felt mean as they left your mouth. And you regretted saying them instantly. He was only trying to lighten the situation. But you couldn’t help the shame you had inside you.

“Oh, c’mon doll. I was only teasing.” Bucky raised his arms in defeat and followed you back to the quinjet, laughing.

“Loki!” Thor scolded as he held his hand to his brother, helping him up. “I hope that you were not deceiving us just to try and gain favor with the priestess. I know you’ve been seeking her affections.”

“Brother! I am genuinely hurt! Did you not see me lying there at the last inch of my life?” Loki contended, pointing to the ground where he once laid.

Thor rolled his eyes but smirked, clapping Loki on the shoulder. He was glad to have his brother back once again. “She’s very talented that one. And I do not want to see her get hurt, Lo-. Loki are you listening to me.”

Loki was at a loss for words, watching you. “She gave me my life back, brother. I have felt her lips against mine and I’ll be damned if I don’t feel them again soon.” Loki smiled as he swatted away Thor’s hand on him. His eyes solely on you, plotting how to get you to kiss him again.

➡️ When The Ball Drops (Sequel)

A/N: I know it's been awhile. I do plan on finishing my series' soon. Thanks for staying with me. Life has been hard and you guys get me through it.

S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters hums with activity, its corridors a hive of agents and operations. In one of the briefing rooms, Daisy Johnson and (Y/n) sit across from each other, their expressions serious as they review the details of their next mission.

(Y/n), with her striking features and intense focus, exudes a quiet confidence. Her powers of superhuman regeneration and pain tolerance have made her an invaluable asset on missions. She can recover from injuries that would incapacitate others, healing from a stab wound in moments or regrowing a lost limb within hours.

A gift and a curse, one that Daisy has seen firsthand.

Daisy, ever the pragmatic leader, cannot hide her concern as she glances over at (Y/n). “You know, you don’t have to take all the risks yourself,” she says, her voice tinged with worry. “We can handle it as a team.”

(Y/n) offers a small, reassuring smile. “I’m fine, Daisy. You know I can take it.”

“But that’s not the point,” Daisy insists, her brow furrowing. “You’re pushing yourself too hard. You don’t have to put yourself in harm’s way like that.”

(Y/n)’s expression hardens slightly. “You know I do this because it’s necessary. We need to get the job done, and I’m the one who can handle it.”

Daisy’s eyes flash with frustration. “That’s not what I’m saying. I’m worried about you. Watching you get hurt over and over again — it’s hard. I don’t want to keep seeing you get stabbed or mutilated.”

(Y/n) sighs, leaning back in her chair. “I understand you’re worried, but this is what I do. It’s part of who I am. I’m not going to stop just because it’s difficult for you to watch.” She hadn't realized in the moment how harsh the words sounded.

Their argument is interrupted by the arrival of their mission briefing. Both women fall silent, the tension between them palpable. They nod to each other, their disagreement unresolved as they prepare to leave for their mission.

. . . 

The night is dark and damp, the streets of a nondescript city echoing with the sounds of an impending storm. Daisy and (Y/n) move through the shadows, their movements precise and coordinated. They are on a mission to retrieve sensitive information from a highly secure facility, a task that requires both skill and subtlety.

As they approach their target, Daisy glances over at (Y/n), her concern still evident. “Remember, we’re in and out quickly. Avoid unnecessary risks.”

(Y/n) nods, her face set in determination. “Got it.”

They infiltrate the facility with practiced ease, disabling security systems and avoiding detection. Inside, the tension mounts as they encounter resistance. A group of armed guards blocks their path, their weapons ready.

(Y/n) springs into action, her superhuman agility and strength making short work of their opponents. She takes hits that would incapacitate anyone else, her body healing almost instantaneously. A guard’s knife slashes across her arm, but within moments, the wound is closed, the skin smooth and unblemished.

Daisy watches, her heart in her throat. She’s seen (Y/n) get hurt before, but each time it feels like a punch to the gut. She moves to support (Y/n), her own abilities complementing her partner’s as they dispatch the guards.

. . . 

Earlier That Week

In the medical bay, Daisy sits beside (Y/n) as she undergoes yet another round of treatment. (Y/n) had been injured in a previous mission, her arm slashed open by a blade. Despite the severity of the injury, (Y/n) is already showing signs of recovery.

Daisy’s gaze is filled with concern as she watches the wound close up before her eyes. “This can’t be easy for you, going through this so often.”

(Y/n) offers a small, tired smile. “It’s what I do. I heal quickly, so I deal with it. It’s just part of the job.”

Daisy’s frustration is evident. “But it’s not just part of the job for me. It’s hard seeing you get hurt and knowing there’s nothing I can do to stop it.”

(Y/n) reaches out, placing a reassuring hand on Daisy’s. “I appreciate your concern, but this is what I’m built for. I can handle it. I need you to trust me.”

Daisy nods, though her expression remains troubled. “I do trust you. It’s just hard, you know?”

. . . 

Back at the facility, (Y/n) and Daisy successfully retrieve the information they need, their mission accomplished. As they make their way back, Daisy’s concern continues to weigh heavily on her. She watches (Y/n) move with a grace and strength that are almost otherworldly, but it doesn’t make the sight of her getting hurt any easier.

When they return to their safe house, Daisy’s worry reaches its peak. (Y/n) is once again covered in minor injuries, the remnants of their confrontation evident on her clothes. Daisy tries to mask her distress as they settle in, but the tension between them is palpable.

. . . 

As they prepare for a much-needed rest, Daisy can no longer hold her feelings in. “We need to talk,” she says, her voice strained.

(Y/n) looks at her, exhaustion evident in her gaze. “About what?”

“About this,” Daisy replies, gesturing to (Y/n)’s injuries. “You keep putting yourself in these situations, getting hurt over and over again. It’s not just hard for you — it’s hard for me too.”

(Y/n)’s eyes narrow. “I thought we were partners. I thought you understood the risks.”

“I do understand the risks,” Daisy snaps. “But it doesn’t mean I have to like watching you get hurt. It’s not just physical pain I’m worried about. It’s the emotional toll it takes on me.”

(Y/n) takes a deep breath, her frustration giving way to a softer, more vulnerable expression. “I didn’t realize it was affecting you so much. I thought you knew I could handle it.”

Daisy’s eyes soften, her voice trembling. “I know you can handle it. But I can’t handle watching you get hurt. I want to be there for you, but it’s hard when you keep putting yourself in danger.”

There’s a long pause as (Y/n) absorbs Daisy’s words. She can see the pain and concern etched on Daisy’s face, and it hits her harder than she expected.

“I’m sorry,” (Y/n) says quietly. “I didn’t mean to make you feel this way. I just thought... I thought I was doing what was needed.”

Daisy steps closer, her gaze steady. “I know you’re doing what’s needed. But I need you to be careful. I need you to take care of yourself, for both our sakes.”

(Y/n) nods, her expression filled with understanding. “I will. I promise.”

They embrace, their tension melting away as they hold each other close. The argument had left them both emotionally drained.

Daisy and (Y/n) find solace in each other’s arms. They lie in bed, the soft glow of the bedside lamp casting a warm light over the room. Daisy has managed to find a couple of pints of ice cream in the fridge, and they sit together, spooning the creamy treat into their mouths.

As they watch an old movie on TV, the mood is light and relaxed. The argument has been put to rest, and they’re focusing on each other, finding comfort in their shared moments.

Daisy leans her head against (Y/n)’s shoulder, her fingers absently tracing patterns on (Y/n)’s arm. “You know, I really do admire your strength,” she says softly. “But I also want you to be safe. For us.”

(Y/n) smiles, her heart full. “I promise I’ll be more careful. And I’ll always come back to you.”

They continue to watch the movie, their laughter and easy conversation filling the room. The stress of the day has melted away, replaced by the simple joy of being together.

As the credits roll, Daisy and (Y/n) cuddle closer, the ice cream forgotten as they savor each other’s presence. Daisy’s fingers play with (Y/n)’s hair, and (Y/n) rests her head against Daisy’s chest, feeling the steady beat of her heart.

“I love you,” Daisy whispers, her voice soft and sincere.

“I love you too,” (Y/n) replies, her voice filled with warmth. “More than anything.”

They drift off to sleep wrapped in each other’s arms, the troubles of the day fading away as they find peace in their shared embrace.

Their leader, Eddie Munson, slides over and lets you have a seat at the table, and you just smile and awkwardly accept the invitation.

You’re surprised that he’s only a year older than you and was rounding up these kids, though you fit in with this little family just fine.

At the meeting, you introduce your character as a metal figure with a microscopic piece of lightning encased in a glass ball they held, making it resemble a plasma ball.

Everyone thought you had the coolest figurine ever. They couldn’t stop staring at it.

And you joined the party and battled Vecna, casting lightning strikes on swarms of evil monsters that blocked your path and impressing the club with your rolls.

After packing up, Eddie remarks how well you played, handing you a Hellfire Club shirt. His energy and kindness really warmed your heart, as you admitted you were just glad to find a place where you belonged.

He does see the tattoo on your wrist and asks what it means.

You sort of..clam up a bit, before dismissing it as your “favorite number.”

"..oh, okay! That’s a uh..cool number.”

Today you realized the “Freak” was not all that freaky.

As time goes by you hang out with the club more, along with Eddie, and all the while you kept your powers in-check so none of them suspected anything.

But you truly did want to tell him. If your family was okay with it, surely he would be, right?

Yet something always happened that stopped you from doing so.

The opportunity arises again....at the most unfortunate time, when Chrissy is murdered and Eddie calls you in a panic, crying and unable to speak clearly.

You weren’t sure why he contacted you of all people, but you meet him in an undisclosed location, where you comfort him as he describes her grisly death.

“Y-You probably think I’m lying..”

“No, I believe you-”

“Don’t bullshit me!! I know you think I’m crazy but I swear..w-whatever happened to her was not normal!”

“..you’re right. It’s not.” Given your experiences with the Upside Down, you immediately knew something there was the cause. So you explained it to him, eventually revealing your powers, too.

In case he didn’t believe you, you jumpstarted a nearby car with your mind and created a ball of electricity between your hands, surprising him.

“So..you were cursed?”

“It felt like it. But now..I see this as a gift. One I can use for good.”

“That’s..pretty badass.” He remarks, before mentioning how Chrissy’s catatonic state reminded him of Vecna’s curse.

Soon Dustin and the others find you two, and you reveal everything to them--knowing Eddie’s innocent and insisting the real threat lied in the UD.

When you all go there, you discover you could absorb the red lightning too. With the endless raging storms you were basically charged-up all the time, using it to fry any demobats that attacked.

You even gave your makeshift weapon a “lightning status effect” that lasted indefinitely so you could save your powers when needed.

It was cool to think you were living a D&D game..but you knew this was very real. And protecting Eddie and the club became your priority.

As he played “Master of Puppets” atop his trailer, you watched out for the bats and zap any you see out of the sky.

It’s truly the most metal thing you’ve ever done. You two put on a hell of a lightning show.

But when he flees from the portal to distract the bat swarm, you start up an abandoned motorcycle to catch up, wondering why the hell he wasn’t choosing to run away now. 

You two got overwhelmed quickly, and in desperation you unleashed all of your energy as a massive lightning storm that kills every last bat.

But the overexertion leaves you unconscious, with burns and branchlike lesions covering your arms. Eddie panics and screams for somebody to come help, begging you to stay alive.

In the end, you do recover at the expense of losing your powers for a day or so.

Eventually you reunite with your family, introducing them to Eddie after they tell you they don’t believe he murdered anyone. So he’s allowed to stay in your home until his name could get cleared.

He’s still kicking himself for trying to act like a hero, but you reassure him that he is one.

“How though? I mean..you’re the one with the crazy superpowers who stopped that entire swarm!”

“Heroes come in many forms, Eddie. Superpowered or not. You chose to go back and face that swarm head-on when you could’ve saved yourself. To me..that’s what makes up a real hero. His selflessness and desire to do good despite everything.”

“S’none of your business,” he mutters, turning his back to you and shuffling over to the sofa.

“I’m here to help, you know,” you start, sliding off of the counter and joining him on the other end of the sofa, pulling your legs to your chest. “I know Sam asked me here to, you know, pop some heads,” you pause, catching his eye in bemusement.

“I could do what you do. It’s called a bullet to the head,” a dry laugh escapes his lips, shaking his head as he takes a sip of his coffee.

“Exploding someone’s skull with your mind is a bit more fun though, right?” you laugh in response. “There’s no subtle way to shoot someone in the head. Think of me as your own, personal gun. With a super silencer.”

“What was your point?” Bucky breathes, finally turning his head to face you, an annoyed expression on his face.

“Right, yeah,” you laugh. “Don’t judge me-”

“I can’t promise anything,” he cuts you off.

“Don’t judge me. I have some herbal stuff-”

“I’m not getting stoned with you, (y/n).”

“Let me fucking finish!” you exclaim, launching a cushion at his face, although he easily catches it and rests it on his lap.

He gestures his hand for you to continue, attempting to hide the small smirk on his face.

“I’m really into tea.”

As soon as the words leave your mouth, his face drops and he gets up from the sofa, throwing the cushion back to you. 

“I don’t want your stupid fucking sleepy time tea.”

You look down as the door slams - understandable.

-------------

The evening’s mission had gone, honestly, beyond wrong. 

Sam and Bucky had been recognised almost immediately, leaving you and Zemo to hunt down the man you were looking for.

In theory, it should have been simple. But Zemo was adamant for you to show him your powers which, above all else, was just distracting.

“Not now, Zemo.” you had said, turning to him with a stern expression on your face. “We find the guy, he talks, I blow his head up. Sound good?”

“Yes ma’am,” he smiled.

That should have been the end of it. 

Zemo persisted.

You’d caught sight of your target, taking hold of Zemo’s wrist and moving through the crowd, your eyes never leaving the man you were here to find.

“Ooh, (y/n), what about this guy? He’s being a bit, how would you say, pervy?”

“Oh my god, Zemo.” you stopped in your tracks and turned to him, your body filled with rage. “Shut the fuck up!”

Before he could even begin to think of a response, you were interrupted by screams.

Screams coming from the direction of your target

“Oh, fuck.” you breathed.

---------------

“You head popped our target?” Sam exclaims. “What the fuck happened?”

Your eyes move from Sam to Zemo, shooting daggers at his smug face.

“What? We were going to kill him anyway, yes?” he smiles.

“He had crucial information. We needed him alive.” Sam exhales, an unimpressed expression on his face.

Bucky throws himself on to the sofa, a large sigh escaping his mouth as he covers his face with his hands.

“You two are the worst.” he mutters.

“Why couldn’t you just let (y/n) do her thing?” Sam asks, raising his arms in exasperation.

“I did!”

“No,” he pauses. “No. She was going to make him talk. You didn’t need to piss her off.”

Zemo glances at you, a smirk on his face as he takes a step towards you.

“Can you blame me? Surely any man would want to witness such a gift in person.”

“You’re lucky I didn’t pop your head.” you say, falling onto the sofa behind you.

Your whole body aches from exhaustion and you want nothing more than your bed or, in this case, a random bed in your current hideout.

You sit in silence as Sam and Zemo argue (or rather, Sam berates Zemo), occasionally casting your eyes to Bucky’s unmoving figure on the opposite end of the couch.

After a while, the shouting stops and Sam storms out of the apartment, with Zemo skulking off to his own bedroom.

Both you and Bucky remain in your respective spots, and you’re convinced that you can feel Bucky’s eyes on you every so often.

It’s only when you eventually sit up that you finally catch his gaze.

“Give me some of your stupid tea.”

Shocked, you jump out of your seat, bringing your hands together.

“Really?” you say, careful to control your volume to avoid disturbing Zemo.

Bucky stands up, suddenly towering over you, resting a hand on your shoulder.

“Just don’t poison me.”

A small squeal of excitement escapes your lips as you scurry over to the kitchenette, Bucky in tow.

You swing one of the cupboard doors open, reaching to the back for your tub of assorted herbs and loose leaf teas.

“I’m telling you now, Bucky,” you start, turning to him, holding the box out to him. “This is probably one of the only things I’m actually passionate about.”

“Tea?” he questions, slowly taking the plastic tub from your hands. “You’re a loser. No offence.”

“None taken,” you shrug. “Only because you’re right.”

You rummage through the cupboards in search of any kind of tea strainer, instead finding an infuser teapot.

“Aha!” you exclaim as you pull the teapot out of the cupboard. “This is perfect.”

Bucky pulls open the tub before gently placing it on the countertop beside you.

“Thanks,” you say in an almost whisper before you begin digging through your collection of herbs. 

Bucky takes his spot beside you, leaning his back against the counter’s edge, silently watching you carefully take spoonfuls of each ingredient. His eyes never leave you, moving from your hands to your face.

“Do you want to help?” you ask, a gentle smile on your face.

He quickly nods, turning to face the worktop alongside you.

“Okay,” you hum. “Could you find the valerian root for me? It’s labelled, it’ll be in one of those brown pouches.”

“Gotcha,” he says before beginning his search. 

Bucky finds the packet only a minute later, gently unsealing the top to get a look.

Before you can warn him, the root’s aroma fills his nostrils, a look of complete and utter disgust spreading across his face.

“I’m not ingesting that,” Bucky states, holding the small bag as far away from his face as possible. “It smells like literal belly button.”

You open your mouth in feign offence, giving his shoulder a gentle, backhanded slap.

“Hey!” he exclaims, matching your energy. “You smell it if it’s really not that bad!”

Before you can act in defence, he forces the pouch into your face, the smell taking over all of your senses. 

You snatch the bag from his hand, careful not to let any of the root escape as you place it back on the side.

The two of you remain in a comfortable silence as you gently place the remainder of the ingredients into the strainer.

“Do you want to go and sit down?” you ask as you pour the freshly boiled water into the teapot. “It needs a little time to brew.”

Bucky silently agrees, nodding his head before crossing the room towards the sofa.

Turning back to the teapot, you hear Bucky collapse onto the couch as you stir the liquid, all kinds of colours leaking into the water.

While you wait, you pull two large mugs from the cupboard. You hook your finger through the handles before taking hold of the teapot into your other hand, carefully carrying everything over to the coffee table in front of Bucky.

“I could have helped carry that, you know,” he says as you place the tea set down on the surface.

“It’s no problem, Bucky,” you smile.

He leans closer to the coffee table, gently lifting a mug and pulling it closer to his face, the steam soothing his tired skin.

“I picked out my favourites for you,” you start. “These ones always put me to sleep,” you laugh.

He smiles at you for you to continue, taking a small smell of the tea as he does so. 

“So it’s valerian root, chamomile, lavender and vervain.” you say, a look of concentration on your face as you make sure to remember every ingredient. “I’d usually add mugwort for some funky dreams but I, uh, I’ve heard about your dreams. Best to avoid that.”

“Good call,” he laughs.

Returning back to your previous quiet, the two of you begin to drink your tea.

You can’t help but watch his face, looking out for any sort of reaction to the drink. 

Eventually, his face softens and he gradually takes more and more sips until the mug is completely empty. You’re not long behind him, tilting your mug to get every last drop before placing it back onto the coffee table.

“That,” he starts, putting his mug beside yours. “That wasn’t awful.”

You look at him with a smile, although a glimpse of disbelief must have flashed across your face as he continues. 

“I mean it, (y/n). It was nice,” he smiles. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Buck.”

Bucky adjusts himself, leaning his back against the side of the sofa, one leg tucked under the other.

You watch his face once more as he sits in deep thought, debating whether to tell you whatever it is that he’s thinking.

“You’ve never called me Buck before,” he whispers.

“Oh shit, I’m sorry,” you whisper back, guilt lacing your voice as you shuffle in place anxiously. “I overstepped, I’m so sorry.”

He lets out a gentle chuckle before tilting his head back, resting it on the edge of the sofa’s armrest.

“I like it,” he breathes, so quietly that if you weren’t paying attention you wouldn’t have heard him. 

A soft yet embarrassed breath escapes your mouth as you lean deeper into the sofa, your knee lightly brushing against his.

Your eyes flutter as you sink further into the sofa and you can’t stop yourself from falling ever so slightly into the man beside you.

---------------

The sound of someone clattering around in the kitchen pulls you from, quite possibly, the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had. You attempt to sit up, but a weight around your waist halts you, keeping you locked into place.

That place being Bucky’s arms.

Fuck.

You make another attempt to free yourself from his grasp, only to be pulled tighter into his chest. Shuffling some more in an effort to wake him, the soft sounds of your body against the sofa attract the attention of someone else.

Zemo peers over the back of the sofa, a please grin on his face.

“I see you two are finally starting to get along,” he smirks. “I have to say, I’ve never seen that man sleep so soundly before.” 

Zemo reaches across you to Bucky’s flesh arm, giving him a poke. 

“Like a baby,” he laughs when Bucky still doesn’t react. “I’ll leave you two lovebirds in peace,” he winks, waltzing back towards his room.

“Buck,” you say, your voice barely above a whisper as you tap whichever parts of his body you can reach. “Buck.”

A sound of complaint leaves his mouth as he pulls you closer once again before his eyes begin to open.

“Buck?”

“I’m up, I’m awake,” he whispers, his grasp on you slowly loosening as his body comes back to life. 

You pull yourself out of his grip as he begins to sit up, rubbing his head with his free hand.

The Devil and His Shadow I

—------------------------------------------—

[R] ran and ran as they felt fear creep up on them, they wanted to cry from how scared they currently feel when [R] suddenly gets tackled by one of the men. They screamed loudly as they panicked before turning around and suddenly hit the man with a shadow straight to the stomach as the man hit the wall and groaned.

"Stop chasing me! I did nothing wrong!" they shouted as they stood up and walked backwards as the men in front of her approached them with weapons. They held up their hands as shadows appear when suddenly a man covered in red and black jumped down and appeared, the men glared as they all looked at one another before ambushing him. They looked at the man in surprise and helping him from time to time trying to stop him from getting hit, [R] saw as one of the men held up a gun and panicked as they ran and tackled the man due to adrenaline and impulse.

—--------------------------2nd Person POV--------------------------—

Daredevil's eyes widen as he heard the man with the gun fall all of the sudden, his head snapped to you to the point you were scared he snapped his neck. He looked at you when you suddenly shout "Behind you!", he hits the man and punches him continuously as you turn away and flinch from time to time hearing bones break.

He looks at you as you stare at him nervously with an open mouth looking at him with disbelief and a bit of fear. You looked at him as you held up a hand as a shadow dagger forms as you point it at him and say "W-who are you?", the man stares at you before mumbling the word Daredevil. You look at him in confusion before asking "Your name is Daredevil..? I- um.." you cover your mouth as you look down trying not to chuckle out loud right now knowing how rude that would seem.

He tilts his head in confusion wondering what was so funny about what he said, you looked at him still covering your mouth as you say "So.. what with the ear things on top". It comes out muffled as you nearly laugh wanting to jokingly make fun of his name, but you know you can't since he saved ya' and you don't wanna seem rude. He heard your covered laugh as he looked at you with a bit of offense, "It's horns.." he mumbles as he looks at you with a pout and a bit of anger.

You stopped laughing as you shook your head and smiled "So.. what is a guy who dresses up like the devil doin' here in a random alley?". He glared at you behind the mask as he shook his head in disappointment and answered "I help people in Hell's Kitchen, I heard you screaming..". He looked at you as you stared at him with an awkward smile, "I heard a weird swooshing noise as you held up your hand.. what was that?" he asked as he looked at you with his head tilted. You looked at him in surprise before deciding to lie and say "I don't know, I think it was another one of the men.. I closed my eyes when I held up my hand."

He stared at you and even though there was a mask, you could tell he was glaring at you for some reason.. he tilted his head as he looked at you and said "You're lying.. I can tell". You looked at him with panic in your eyes as you backed up to the wall as you noticed he slowly walked forward, before he could even tell you to calm down and that he didn't want to harm ya', you immediately disappeared and went into the shadows hiding away from anyone's sight.

—-------------------3rd person POV [1 week after]------------------—

Matt walked down the sidewalk as he wondered what happened last week when he encountered you, Matt was confused! he's never heard a sound like that before. He walked a bit slower as Foggy rambled on about something when suddenly someone bumps into his shoulder, he hears them apologize when suddenly he recognizes the tone of voice.

"It's completely fine Mx..?" Matt asked as he stared at [R] who slowly panicked as they shook themselves to calm down and answered back "It's [R], [R] [L/N]". [R] stared at him wondering why he was seemingly glaring at them when they don't even know this man, they shook their head as they apologized again before walking away wondering who the guy was.

Foggy gave Matt a look as he said "Why did you stare at the kid? did you encounter them as Daredevil??", Matt stared at Foggy before nodding slowly as Foggy let out a noise of disbelief "Really?? What did they do?" he asked as they both walked towards the office.

"They were getting attacked when I arrived to help them, when all the attackers were down I was going to ask if they were okay.. they panicked and disappeared all of the sudden with a noise I've never heard before" Matt said as he goes over the events again, he wonders if whether he should find you later and ask what it was..

—-------------------3rd person POV [With R]------------------------—

[R] walked as they looked around checking to see if anyone was following them, they didn't want to get chased at night again! [R] tensed up when they suddenly sensed a new shadow that appeared out of nowhere, [R] turned around and held out a hand as the shadows formed a bat that fit in [R]'s hands perfectly. Daredevil's eyes widened hearing the sound again as he landed in front of [R] with a small tumble, he immediately faces [R] as Matt holds his hands up as a way to show he isn't going to attack.

[R] stared at him as they held up the bat slowly, prepared to hit in case Daredevil attacks them. "I won't hurt you, don't worry.. I just want to know why I keep on hearing a swooshing sound near you." he said as Daredevil stops walking hearing how panicked your heart sounds, [R]'s panic lowered as they heard what Daredevil said and weighing the pros and cons before deciding to say it. "It's a power of mine..? I can manipulate and bend shadows to my will."

Daredevil's eyes widened a bit, it wasn't the first time he's heard of people with powers, but it is the first time he's met one that wasn't any of the Defenders. "Oh, so that's the swooshing sound I keep on hearing.." He said as [R]'s eyes widened in confusion because they were sure this random horned man was as blind as a blind man could be! at least that's what the shadows told [R]..

[R] shook their head as they held the bat in front of them prepared to attack when suddenly they feel a bullet lodge into their shoulder as they heard a shout of "NO!" from a man..? No wait, it's the horned devil who was talking to them awhile ago..

You went to Hawkins High, like everyone who lived in Hawkins. It was a small place with an even smaller population. Everyone knew everyone. But not everyone knew that there was a secret dark underworld hiding through the veil, an evil Hawkins. The Upside Down.

Your brother, Dustin, had introduced you to it. He’d been keeping secrets and you knew it. 

“Come here, you little nerd!” You called after him, unusually agitated. Usually you fondly referred to him as your little nerd brother, but this time you were irate. 

“Back off, freak,” again, usually he called you this lovingly, but he was trying to get you to back off. You wouldn’t. 

It was a little brother-sister rivalry: who could come up with the meanest, most nasty names, but all in good fun. You knew he was a DND loving nerd and he knew you had supernatural capabilities. Therefore: Little Nerd and Freak.

“I know you’re hiding something!” You ran smack into his door when he slammed it behind him and groaned at the impact. You smoothed down your cheer skirt and tucked your hair behind your ears, determined to get answers. You slid a bobby pin from your hair and pushed it into the pressure lock just enough to pop the lock and open his door.

“Look- Steve?” You cocked your head to the side when you saw Dustin accompanied by one Steve Harrington, king of Hawkins High. “Steve, what are you doing in my little brother’s bedroom?”

As it turned out, he was helping Dustin hunt a baby demogorgon, something you had forced them to sit down and explain to you. Which unleashed an entire can of worms about El, the telekinetic supergirl, and the Upside Down. 

Now, you were no stranger to weirdness, you had supernatural powers that stemmed from your birth parents, wherever they may be. And you weren’t one to shake in the face of danger. But this Upside Down felt like a force of pure evil. Luckily, you didn’t have to expose your abilities to Dustin’s friends, you didn’t know how they would react to your powers. You pondered El, the young girl whose powers were way stronger than you expected, as you drove the eight hours from your school to Hawkins. You were coming home for your birthday, it was 1986, and you were turning 20. Finally not a teen, you were excited to see some old friends, maybe hang out with Steve and Nancy and get into some good old trouble. But not too much trouble. Not Upside Down level trouble. 

That train of thought had you thinking back on your days at Hawkins High. You were the same age as Steve, and you were both popular, but you didn’t exactly run in the same circles. You were an academic, trying your hardest to get out of Hawkins despite your connection to the cheer squad and your family ties.

“What I would give to see your cheer friends’ faces if they saw you here, with me,” you bit your lip, Eddie Munson was an enigma. He was a senior like you, but unlike you he didn’t seem to have college ambitions or stress or anything going wrong in his life. Like you did. 

College admissions were giving you genuine anxiety and you found yourself hyperventilating in the shower more often than not, the only place loud enough that your family wouldn’t hear you sobbing. You just wanted to get out of Hawkins, away from this cursed place. 

“It might look a little like yours does right now,” you chuckled softly, peering up at his gobsmacked expression. You had asked him to meet you in the woods behind the school hours ago, but you hadn’t told him you’d wanted weed until a moment ago. 

“You can’t blame me, princess. This is like a cheesy horror movie,” He spread his hands in front of his as if there was a screen there. “Pretty cheerleader lures unsuspecting school pariah into the forest for what? Premeditated homicide? To have the football team jump me? Maybe as a sacrifice?” He raised a single eyebrow at you as you held your hand to your mouth to stifle your giggles. He may be a freak to the entire school, but damn he was quirky and charming. 

“Or maybe a little relief from crippling anxiety and societal expectations?” You quipped and he huffed a short laugh. 

“I hate to judge other people, princess, but you don’t seem the type to be afflicted by common anxiety like us mere mortals,” you winced at his words, the phrasing hitting a little too close to home. You weren’t a mere mortal. But he didn’t know that, he was just joking about your cheer uniform and popular status. 

“Maybe you don’t know all that much about me then,” you shrugged and watched as he sat down with his back against an old oak and grinned that unhinged grin at you. 

“Convince me you’re trustworthy, princess. Tell me your story,” you eyed him up before neatly sitting down on the grass and smoothing your skirt out.

“I have a little brother,” you started, fingers fiddling with a loose string on your skirt. “He’s an adorable little nerd. He’s a certified genius and all of his friends are big dorks. I love him, and them. But I have to be a good role model, you know,” you looked up through your lashes to find Eddie gazing over at you, totally engrossed in your story. “It’s one of the many hats I wear. Older sister and role model.”

You switched from fiddling with your skirt to picking at a scab on your knee. You’d scraped them climbing a tree to get your family cat. 

“I’m also the oldest child in my family, and there are a lot of expectations there. Be good for the little ones, be polite and docile for the family friends, be strong for the parents. Get into a good college,” you swallowed thickly. “Which means totally ignore your own personality and create a new one so that you can get good grades and get into a sport that looks good on a college resume,” you sighed, not noticing the eyes Eddie was giving you. 

You were so engrossed with finally being able to let out all of the things you were thinking, and Eddie truly would have given you an eighth the moment you giggled at his joke. But he wanted to get to know you better, the girl behind the uniform. Who you were away from your posse.

You cleared your throat, mouth dry.

“I was also adopted,” you whispered. Nobody knew this except for your family. “My parents didn’t want me. My dad didn’t help out with any of the kids he had and my mom knew I was a stupid freak and didn’t want me,” you wrinkled your nose, feeling that telltale ache behind your eyes. “And when my adoptive parents took me in… I knew I had to be perfect for them,” you finally looked up, wet eyes locking onto Eddie’s soft brown ones. “I had to be perfect in every way. They thought they couldn’t have kids so they adopted me and I wanted to be so good for them, but then they had my little brother and I knew I had to stay in their good graces. I was so afraid of losing them,” you sniffled and looked down at your lap. “So you can imagine the amount of stress I am under. All of the time.”

Eddie let out a breath he seemed to have been holding, stood, and made his way over to you. 

“You seem like you need a hug, Henderson,” he held a hand out to you and you eyed it for a second, hesitant. “And for the record, I don’t think you’re a stupid freak,” you gingerly took his hand and allowed him to pull you to your feet. “You’re smart and popular, capable of anything you put your mind to. And beautiful to top it off,” he smirked and you let out a watery laugh. 

“You are so full of shit, Eddie Munson,” you laughed and punched him in the shoulder. “But I would take you up on that hug,” you were feeling shy now, but you let out a soft sigh when his warm arms encircled you. You wrapped your own arms around him and tucked your face into his neck, smelling the clean soap smell mix with the more pungent weed smell. It was nice, even though his hair tickled your nose.

“This isn’t that weird, right?” You whispered against his skin, reveling in the skin to skin contact. 

“Maybe it is, but who’s to say weird isn’t a good thing?”

You blinked back tears on your drive. Eddie Munson had given you weed after that, and on many occasions. But he was still the only person to this day you had told about your adoption and your insecurities. It never failed to amuse you that the self-proclaimed school freak had to reassure you that you were, in fact, not a stupid freak. But if he had only known about your powers… He might have thought differently. 

You were most excited to meet Steve’s friend Robin. You’d heard so much about her and their stories from the previous  year while you were gone (more evil shenanigans, but this time, the Russians were involved. Insane). 

You were nearing Hawkins and the dread started settling in your bones. This was a place of darkness and loss. You were getting those old anxious feelings welling up in you. 

When you finally arrived, Dustin wasn’t even at home. Nor were your parents. 

What a great reception.

You wandered around your home a little before going up to your childhood bedroom. Everything was the same. 

Same perfect candy pink walls. Same perfect curtains hanging from your window. Same perfect mirror showing you your same perfect face. 

You looked away, fear and anger bubbling up within you. You were grateful to your parents, but you’d always hated this place. It wasn’t reflective of your personality at all. 

“This is exactly what I thought your bedroom would look like,” you’d invited Eddie over while your parents were out of town and Dustin was over at the Byers’ house to smoke with you. You cringed.

“It’s awful,” you muttered, patting your perfectly made bed for him to sit. You opened the windows and sat down across from him, leaning back on the mountain of decorative pillows you owned. 

“It is not awful,” he scoffed, pinching a pink pillow between his fingers. You couldn’t help but stare as his hands ran over the soft comforter, the pillow cases, the sheets. He was enthralling. 

“Maybe so,” you countered with a huff. “But it’s not… me.” You finished lamely, not catching his raised eyebrows. 

“So it seems.” As Eddie produced a lighter and a blunt, you scooted closer to him and leaned back against the pillows. “If you could decorate this room however you wanted it,” he took a long drag. “What would it look like,” he passed the blunt over to you and you thought about his question while you breathed in the pot.

“I think the walls would be dark green. Like… A forest,” you started, looking around at your white wood vanity and matching dresser. “And I would have plants everywhere, hanging from the walls and the windows,” you smiled softly, looking around your room. “Dark wood furniture, stars on the ceiling, you know: like the real forest,” you sighed and relaxed into the pillows with your next drag. 

“You like nature, huh?” Eddie asked, leaning on his elbow to look over at you. He’d caught you on a weekend, and alone at home. So you weren’t wearing your usual uniform or preppy school outfits. He imagined what you were wearing now was a better representation of you than he had ever seen: soft green pajama shorts and a tattered Eurythmics concert t-shirt with fuzzy socks and your normally tidy hair laying softly across your shoulders. He thought you looked like the goddess Aphrodite. 

“Do I ever,” you sighed. “It’s where we come from, it’s where we’ll go when we’re gone. The earth is our home and I want to respect that,” you murmured and Eddie smirked. He had always thought you were a good Christian girl, but the more he learned about you, the more interesting you became. 

“You know, princess. You’re a lot different than I expected,” Eddie blew smoke out of his mouth towards the window and you chuckled softly. 

“So are you, Eds,” he was positively beaming at the new nickname, but you were staring out the window at the sky. 

“And why is that? I am always my authentic self. Everybody knows exactly who I am,” he countered and you turned to lock eyes with him.

“I know better than that,” your words were soft. He almost didn’t hear them. “You may be an unhinged, DND loving metalhead,” you started, and he was curious where this was going. “But you’re also smart and soft and caring.”

“Am not,” he laughed your words off and you raised an eyebrow at him, annoyed.

“You’re saying you don’t care about me?” You watched as his throat bobbed as he swallowed thickly. 

“That’s not what I’m saying,” he finally answered, and you smirked with heavy-lidded eyes.

“That’s what I thought.”

“Earth to dumbass!” You snapped out of your memory and looked at your open bedroom door. Dustin. 

“Dustin what the fuck are you doing in my room?”

“Why did you leave the door open?”

“Shouldn’t you be doing something for school or hanging out with your nerd comrades?” You rolled your eyes but ran over to hug your little brother. 

“Why are you back?”

“Okay, ouch,” you put your hand over your heart, mimicking a wound. “You wound me.”

“Seriously, you hate it here, and it’s dangerous,” Dustin replied and you rolled your eyes.

“I’m in town for my birthday. And what do you mean it’s dangerous? What’s going on?”

He looked around as if to make sure nobody was listening. 

“It has to do with the Upside Down,” he whispered and you blanched. You knew coming back was a bad idea. 

“I’m leaving,” you decided, but then turned to look at your little brother… You couldn’t leave him like this when you knew there was danger. “Fuck. Fine, I’m coming with you.”

“What? I didn’t ask you to.” He sputtered and you rolled your eyes.

“Which one of us has a car?”

“I could call Steve for a ride.”

“Ooh, Steve, I’m sure he would be happy to see me,” you smirked and Dustin sighed.

“Fine, I’ll explain on the way over.”

Dustin told you all about Chrissy and Fred and how even Nancy was involved. He also told you Eddie Munson was the sole suspect, and you shook your head.

“Always getting into trouble, that kid,” you muttered. But why was he still in high school?

“He’s not a bad guy, he’s just eccentric. But he wouldn’t do this,” Dustin argues and you laughed.

“Oh yeah, I know,” you countered, and you ignored the funny looks he was giving you. He also explained that Eddie was the leader of his DND group, and was his new friend. What a small world. 

You side eyed Dustin, wondering if you should admit this. But it might make your little brother trust you a little more with the location of the town’s pariah.

“I uh… I used to buy weed from Eddie. In high school. A lot,” you sucked your lower lip in between your teeth at Dustin’s bewildered look.

“Excuse me?” You shrugged at his words and kept driving. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You were a kid, I didn’t want to expose you to my bad habits,” you already felt weird admitting it.

“Hm, okay. I’ll allow it- turn here,” you jerked your car to the side and kept driving a little longer until you came upon a little building.

“This is where Eddie is hiding?”

“It’s a long story.”

You parked your car under the cover of some bushes and threw some branches over it to cover the green paint a little more. Then, you entered the shack. It was dark and lofty, but Dustin called out.

“Eddie?” You whipped around at his voice. “I brought my nosy sister, she insisted on driving me here. But it’s safe.” You heard rustling and turned around in the dim room, looking for your old crush.

“I also have a bit of a mean streak, so watch out for that,” you added and a moment later a very disheveled Eddie appeared from the shadows.

“Henderson? And… Henderson?” He raised his eyebrow at you, standing back in the shadows. You wondered how you looked to him. You were wearing a yellow sundress with your hair cascading over your shoulder, makeup impeccable, but with your worn black driving sneakers. He looked… Rough. There was a twig in his hair, but you couldn’t help but notice a few tattoos peeking out of his sleeves, and you gulped at the thought.

“I never put that together. Didn’t know your little brother was my favorite Dustin,” he tried to give you a smile but you could tell he was under a lot of stress, you figured if you approached he would scatter like a scared bunny. 

“I’m the only Dustin you know,” your brother called from elsewhere. For the moment it was just you and Eddie in this patch of dim light.

“You seem like you need a hug, Munson,” you whispered, using the same words he had all those years ago.

“I might take you up on that,” his voice was just as soft, and you approached him slowly. Finally, when you were within arms reach, you reached out and pulled him into you, enveloping him in your arms. You couldn’t imagine the amount of pressure and stress he was feeling. Actually, maybe you could. 

“We’re going to figure this out, Eddie,” you whispered into his hair. “Dustin and his friends have done this before. They know what they’re doing.” He nodded, sniffling a little bit and you stroked your hands up and down his back.

“So, do you always give weirdly long hugs to the people you sell drugs to, or…?” 

“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. What’s it to you, little Henderson?” Eddie finally pulled away, a little of his bright personality shining through.

“Oh, so now I’m ‘little Henderson,’ real nice, man,” your brother scoffed and you held back your giggles.

“Well I did meet this Henderson first, to be fair,” you turned to face your brother, but Eddie kept a warm hand on your waist, maybe to comfort himself, maybe to reassure you. But… You liked it. 

“You two are gross, and I hate it her-” Dustin was cut off by the sound of a car approaching and he pointed at Eddie. “Hide.”

A moment later Eddie was gone from behind you and hidden under a mountain of tarps, so you grabbed an… oar? Okay, so this was a boathouse. You snapped the end of the oar off on your knee and pointed it at the door as it cracked open, light pouring in. 

You were blinded by the sunlight, and couldn’t be held accountable for what happened next. 

When a person stepped through you used the non pointy length of your oar-turned-spear, and shoved the person towards the wall, then pointing the pointy end at their chest.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” You blinked the floaters out of your eyes, finally lowering your spear when you saw who it was.

“Steve!” You exclaimed, setting your spear down to run over and hug him.

“My heart is palpitating,” he muttered before wrapping his arms around you.

“So is mine!’ a feminine voice came from beside you. 

“This isn’t that weird,” that was Max, you assumed. The voice sounded younger. More sarcastic.

“You must be Robin,” you let go of Steve and offered a hand to shake, which the younger girl (well, younger than you, but older than Max) graciously took. “I swear I wouldn’t have killed Steve, but when the door opened I couldn’t see anything because it was so bright, you know? Can’t be too careful,” you shrugged.

“Uh yeah,” Robin sort of stuttered, wide eyed at you. You must have looked crazy, a girl in a pretty sundress and worn Chucks holding a makeshift spear at her close friend. Maybe she would warm up to  you, but you’d probably made a bad impression.

“Well close the door, weirdos,” Dustin’s voice was hushed and soon you were in the dim light again. 

“How did you guys find me?” Eddie was coming out of the shadows again and you turned to your friends. 

“Yeah, how did you find this place?” You wondered and Steve explained how the four of them had come to find out about Reefer Rick and his boathouse. 

“Okay, Sherlock Holmes,” you smiled at your little brother who puffed up a little with pride. “So, uh, are we all going to sit down and talk about what happened, and what happens next, or?” You finally spoke and the group of you found yourselves seated on various items while Eddie explained what happened to Chrissy. 

You gulped, watching the pain in his soft brown eyes as he explained what had happened to the poor girl. 

Eddie, Max, Robin, and Steve explained to Eddie what Dustin had tried to explain to you about the Upside Down, but with way more detail. You were on edge, thinking of your little brother dealing with all of this, and poor Will Byers. No wonder they left town. 

“We should probably go and get you some food and supplies,” Dustin finally spoke after a little silence. As they started standing, you took one look at Eddie, and your mind was made. They were filtering out, and Dustin was making his way out when you turned to him. 

“Hey, nerd-boy?” Dustin looked over at you, confused at first by your soft tone, but a look of understanding dawned on his face. “I think you should get a ride with Steve.”

“Alright, weirdo. But don’t do anything freaky while I’m gone,” he smiled at you and you offered a thumbs up. When the doors closed, you sat back down and looked over at a shell-shocked Eddie. He must have had a hard time believing the lot of them.

“You and Dustin have a very weird relationship,” he spoke finally and you choked on a laugh.

“It’s all in good fun. We call each other mean names sometimes but it’s a joke. We never really argue. Or we didn’t, not until he told me about the Upside Down. And then I got a lot more stressed out and worried about him. Which led to more arguments.” You shrugged.

“I don’t think you told me about this when we first talked and you were spilling the beans about how stressed you were,” Eddie let out a harsh chuckle and you grinned over at him. You could tell he was trying to lighten the mood, but it was hard.

“I don’t think you would have believed me,” you replied and he raised an eyebrow.

“I wouldn’t believe you? Satanic cult leader Eddie Munson?” You rolled your eyes.

“I knew you weren’t a Satan worshiper. My brother has been playing DND since he knew how to do math.” You  paused. “The Hellfire t-shirts don’t help, though.” You added and he gave a little smile. It was silent for a while, the two of you lost in thought, sitting in the boathouse. You were sure he was thinking about his fate, but you couldn’t help but think about him.

“College, huh? Getting far away from this place?” You and Eddie were sitting in his bedroom in the trailer when you brought up that you’d be leaving Hawkins after graduation. 

“Yeah,” you took a drag of the blunt, needing the relaxing effects to start working. “I got into a few places, but my parents want me to stay close. I just… Can’t.”

“I get it. Small town, smaller population. Everyone knows everyone. It must be hard to keep pretending to be someone else,” he was somber, he felt bad for you and you could tell. The longer you spent time together, the more you got to know each other. It felt like Eddie Munson was the only person who knew the real you, who understood you. You couldn’t tell him about the Upside Down, but he knew nearly everything else.

“I just wish… I could talk to my little brother about this. So he doesn’t feel like I am abandoning him, you know?” You were sitting side by side with your backs against the wall on his bed, passing the joint back and forth. You’d gotten much closer over time and the feeling of his shoulder pressed against yours was one of the most comforting feelings you could think of.

“I’m sure he doesn’t think you’re abandoning him,” Eddie murmured, throwing his arm around your shoulders. You sighed, and when you inhaled and looked up at him again you caught a whiff of that deodorant he loved and his shampoo mixed in with the smell of pot. It was a mixture you were incredibly fond of.

He was looking down at you and when your eyes locked, it felt like it always did: like the walls you’d carefully crafted around your fragile heart were crumbling down; like you could tell him anything. You wished you could tell him about your powers, but you were afraid. 

“I think he does. He’s pulling away from me. There’s a lot going on with him and his friends. And on top of their inner circle drama, they are constantly bullied. And I can’t do anything about it because I’m not in middle school,” you huffed a breath. You wished people would see what a smart, kind, and charismatic kid Dustin was. 

“He’ll be okay. I mean, look at you. You made it through Hawkins High and now you’re off to bigger and better things. Onward and upwards, right?” You smirked. 

“Ok, C.S. Lewis. Quit it with the cheesy book lines.”

“I didn’t know you read fantasy,” he grinned, toothy, at you. You raised an eyebrow.

“You didn’t think I read the Chronicles of Narnia? Glorified bible story junk? As the eldest girl child in a Christian household?” Your heart skipped a beat when Eddie let out a peal of laughter.

“Okay, you make a good point. Maybe it’s weird that I read it, and not you. What other books do you like?” You couldn’t believe after all this time you didn’t talk about books! You loved to read when you were alone.

You cleared your throat and spouted your favorite quote: 

“‘I wish it need not have happened,’ said Frodo. ‘So do I,” said Gandalf, ‘and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.’”

Eddie’s eyes were warm and glowing when he looked down at you.

“You’re telling me this whole time we’ve been hanging out and you never told me you liked Tolkien?”

“Like him? I adore him. I read the Silmarillion first, then the Hobbit, then the Lord of the Rings. You know they’re still releasing more books full of Middle Earth lore?” You asked excitedly and Eddie beamed at you.

“You’re a secret nerd!” He gasped and you giggled.

“Maybe so, but you can’t tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold you know,” you joked and he rolled his eyes.

“Yeah for a few more weeks. Then you’re out of here. Can you imagine all their faces if you showed up to school and started talking nerd shit at them?” You tried to imagine it and burst out in laughter.

“They would not know what to do. All we talk about is makeup and sports and cheer and boys.” Eddie wrinkled his nose at that and you couldn’t help but think how cute he looked.

“Sounds riveting,” your laughter was something he wanted to remember after you left. He would miss you.

“Eddie?” You asked softly, and he turned his head to you. “I’m sorry this has happened to you.” You were deadly serious, and he gulped. 

“Me too, princess,” he whispered with a deep sigh. You moved to sit next to him and laid your head on his shoulder. 

“You didn’t deserve this.” He huffed a sharp inhale. Maybe it was a scoff, maybe a laugh, but you lifted your head and looked at him. You used both hands to cup his face and turned him to face you.

“You did not deserve this. You are a good person, you have a kind heart, and I am so sorry you’ve been dragged into this bullshit. It’s scary and you don’t want to believe it’s real, that this is happening to you. But it is, and it’s not your fault. You didn’t do this. There is real evil in this world, and somehow it has been on the shoulders of a group of middle schoolers and their token high school friends to save the world. It’s bullshit, and I wish it hadn’t come to this. But we have your back. We’re going to get your name cleared, we’re going to figure out what happened to Chrissy and Fred, and we’re going to get you out of this. Do you understand me?” You asked, looking into his eyes. It took him a moment, but he nodded at your words. 

He cupped your hands with his own and gently pulled them off of his face and held them in his lap. 

“I’m afraid,” he whispered, clutching your hands like a lifeline. “But… for some reason… I believe you.” You offered him a smile, that’s what you’d hoped to hear.

“Good.”

You stayed with him for a while but you were worried about Dustin and his friends. 

“Eddie, I’m going to go and make sure Dustin is okay. Don’t do anything rash, please?” You plead and he nods. “Ookay,” you trail off, wondering whether you should go with your gut. You do, and you lean forward to press a chaste kiss to his forehead before scurrying out of there. You uncover your car before returning to your home. Your best bet to get into contact with Dustin is his radio setup. 

“Dustin, do you read me?” You could only hope you were on the right frequency. “Dustin?”

“Not now!” Dustin sounded panicked. “Nancy? Robin?” You bit your lip. Something was wrong. You didn’t know what to do or where to go. Maybe you should have stayed with Eddie. 

“Will this be the last time I see you?” He asked, and you gulped. You would miss Eddie… More than anyone. Maybe not Dustin, but still. 

“Hopefully not,” you whispered. The two of you were in the forest behind the school again, though you were both sober. You weren’t here to smoke. You were here to confess your feelings. You wanted nothing more than to kiss him. 

“When then?” His eyes were soft as he sat next to you on that picnic bench. Your thighs touched and you felt his warmth through those ratty jeans. 

“I don’t know. I’ll come back and visit,” you were getting off topic. 

“I wish you weren’t going so far away,” he whispered, and you winced. You wished the same. You wished it wasn’t so hard to stay here. To be with your family and with Eddie. But after everything… You wanted out more than anything.

“I don’t want to feel like I’m suffocating anymore,” you whispered, a tear running down your flushed cheek. Eddie rubbed his hand up and down your back, soothing you. 

“I know, princess. I understand,” you knew he did.

Okay, now or never. It was time to tell him. You opened your mouth. 

“I’ll miss you, Henderson. You’re one of my closest friends,” he said, and you shut your mouth. You blinked back tears. You gulped. Okay, change of plans.

“I’ll miss you more, dummy,” you let out a watery laugh and hoped he thought you were teary-eyed due to your last goodbyes and not the crushing weight of rejection. You nudged his shoulder with your own. 

You were sitting in your bedroom waiting for news from Dustin, knee pulled up against your chest and face tucked into them. 

“Hello?” You heard your brother call out. You sniffled and looked up at your doorframe where he was standing with Steve, Lucas, and Max. 

“Why do you look like that?” That was Dustin.

“Like what?” You asked, your face feeling swollen and congested for some reason. 

“Like someone kicked your puppy,” Steve pushed through and came over to you. “No offense but you have mascara all over your face.” You looked down at your knees where wet marks and black stains marked your jeans. Oh. 

“Oh.”

“Children, wait for me downstairs,” Steve ordered, much to the kids dismay, though they listened after he glared over at them. “What’s up, buttercup?” You laughed wetly at the nickname.

“Oh you know me. I am a ball of anxiety at the best of times, and now we have a murderous underworld wizard trying to kill our friends,” you joked and Steve raised an eyebrow at you from where he sat half on your bed. 

“Tell me what’s wrong,” he insisted and you pouted. 

“I just did,” you said, though the tears sprung to your eyes again when he sighed and put a heavy hand on your shoulder. 

“I know we weren’t super good friends in school, but I think after everything we’ve been through, I’d know when you’re lying,” Steve said softly and you frowned, trying not to cry even harder so you could explain. 

“I used to smoke with Eddie in school,” you started, and Steve had the decency to nod and not act surprised. “We hung out a lot, more than a lot. We were together all the time outside of school. When I decided to leave for college, to get out of this horrible place, he was the first person I told. And he was so understanding. And we didn’t talk about it for weeks,” you sighed and knotted your fingers together. “I wanted to tell him… Before I left,” you sighed and quieted, but Steve wouldn’t have it. He was a good friend. 

“Tell him what?” Though he had an idea of what you were going to say. 

You huffed a self-deprecating laugh. 

“That I was in love with him of course. But I never got the chance, and it’s good because he would never go for me,” you sighed and Steve pulled you into his side. 

“Why didn’t you tell him?” He prodded and you sniffled as more tears sprung up. You looked up at your friend, someone you’d never expected to get to know very well. 

“He told me I was one of his closest friends,” you sobbed, and Steve pulled you close. “I couldn’t ruin it after that. I had never had friends that cared about me the way he did, and I didn’t want to ruin it.”

“What a dumbass,” Steve sighed, stroking your hair, and you laughed, trying not to get snot everywhere. 

“Yeah. I’m a catch,” you joked, and Steve turned serious, bringing you at arms length and making eye contact. 

“You totally are, and don’t let anybody tell you differently. Eddie would be the luckiest man alive to have you.” You gulped. 

“Thanks, Steve,” you whispered, and he nodded in satisfaction before hugging you again. 

“Now, let’s go save that stupid metalhead from a lifetime in jail.”

You didn’t see Eddie for two days, apparently he had to flee the safehouse. You were worried beyond belief, feeling those anxious feelings creeping up in you. You called your school and let them know there was a family emergency and you would be home for a little longer. You didn’t like staying in Hawkins though. You barely saw your parents with everything going on, and with feeling like you had to act a certain way and pretend to not have powers around them and Dustin’s friends, you were tiring, and fast. 

Though today, lying in bed alone and full of anxious energy, everything felt worse. You hadn’t seen Dustin and friends since yesterday and you had a very bad feeling. You threw on a pink dress and your worn sneakers and made your way to Dustin’s room. He was nowhere to be found, but you took his walkie-talkie in hand and pressed the side button.

“Does anyone read me?” Your voice wavered, and to no response. “Hello? Dustin? You know I don’t like when you keep me in the dark.”

“Who is this?” A female voice came through and you clutched it harder. 

“Nancy? It’s me! Y/N!” You cleared your throat. “What’s going on?” You asked, frantic, and there was nothing for a moment before Nancy came back, urgently.

“We need you. Meet us at the Creel house. Bring a weapon. Over and out.”

You gulped. A weapon? The only one you knew of was… You ran to the shed behind your house, grabbed it, and got into your car as quickly as possible. When you arrived at the Creel house, nobody was there. 

“Hello?” You called, to no avail. Though soon, you find yourself entering a portal into what could only be the Upside Down. 

It was like Hawkins but worse.

“God, I need to get out of this fucking town,” you muttered to yourself as your held your father’s handgun in both hands, pointed down as you scoped out the area. 

“What the hell are you doing here?” You turned and pointed the gun, all of your childhood archery and aim lessons finally coming in handy. Luckily, it was Dustin and Eddie. 

“Saving your stupid asses,” You whisper-shouted, heading towards the duo. “Nancy didn't tell me anything, just show up with a weapon. Well? Here I am!” You gestured wildly. “In the Upside Down!”

“I see that,” Dustin rolled his eyes. “We’re on ‘lure the demobats’ duty while-”

“Excuse me?” You asked, voice dead, eyes serious. “You’re bait?”

Eddie frowned. 

“I wouldn’t put it like that-”

“Shut up. If you or my baby brother get into any trouble I will fucking murder you and ruin your life. Do you understand me?” You growled, in his face, nose touching his. Eddie nodded, silent. “Now that that’s settled. Let’s hunt those bastards.” 

The three of you split up, against your better judgment. Your job was to lure the bats. You could do that. You conjured up every negative emotion you’d ever had, from insecurity to anxiety to resentment. You felt it all, you let it consume you as you took the safety off of the handgun. They’d told you that Vecna was drawn to trauma, to negative emotions. Well? Bring it on. 

Eddie and Dustin were luring the bats as well, but with three of you, none should be overwhelmed, but you were tired. And all you had was a handgun. 

When they started coming, you started shooting. You’d been shooting with your dad since you were a kid, and this felt too easy. But then there were more, and more, a never ending supply of demon bats. 

“Fuck!” You shouted, realizing you would run out of ammo. You backed yourself towards the Upside Down version of Eddie’s trailer while you shot your last few rounds. Then, you ran. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!” You threw yourself inside and tried to find something else, but all you saw was your brother. “Dustin?” “Where’s Eddie?”

“I was going to ask you!” You shouted, but then you both heard it. Eddie’s baby: his electric guitar. 

“What is he-”

“He’s going to sacrifice himself,” you finished for your brother, rage in your veins. “I can’t believe that bastard.”

“You have to do something!” Dustin shouted and you winced.

“What am I supposed to do? All I can do is-”

“I know, but your dad, he has other powers, you have to have something-”

“Fuck! Fine!” You screamed your agony and anger into the world and stormed out of the trailer towards the sounds of Metallica. Eddie was swarmed, and you ran faster, trying to focus, to do anything. You didn’t know what you had to do, so you prayed, shouting your words into the void as you ran towards the love of your life.

“Dad, I swear to god I will do anything if you help me right now. I don’t know if you can reach me here, if you can even hear me. But I need your help. I’ve never asked you for anything, but I need you now. Please, give me something!” You shouted, and as you entered the mass of demobats, you couldn’t even see or hear Eddie anymore among them. 

But you felt it, or heard it. Whatever it was. Your father’s divine magic. You felt it flow through you, burning you up. And you heard his voice.

“I grant you my power, my essence, my self. Use it wisely.”

You screamed, falling to your knees as you felt it set you aflame from your toes through your scalp, and you watched, nearly blinded as you emanated a clear white light that burned all of the demobats to ash. Your light didn’t fade though, it lit up the whole area and you could see Dustin through the window of the trailer, you could see Vecna being vanquished, and you could see Eddie. Your poor Eddie, broken and bloodied on the battlefield. You crawled towards him, feeling the scratch on your knees and palms as your light faded. 

When you reached him, Dustin had come running over as well.

“Fuck,” you groaned as you knelt next to Eddie, his blood coating your hands. But before you could say anything, you heard your father’s voice again. 

“My power may work in this cursed place, but yours does not. You will die if you stay here.” You gulped. That was a bad omen if you’d ever heard one.

“Who was that?” Eddie mumbled, choking on his own blood, and you shushed him, tears in your eyes.

“Yeah, who was that?” Dustin echoed as he sat across from you. 

“That was my dad,” you sobbed as you hovered your hands over Eddie’s torso, trying to figure out what to do. “We have to get to the trailer, get him out of here.”

“Can’t you-”

“No, didn’t you hear him?” You sobbed. “That was my dad. He said my powers don’t work here. We have to get Eddie out.”

“Powers?” You looked down at Eddie.

“I will tell you all about them once we’re out of here, okay? Dustin, help me,” you, with the help of your baby brother, hefted Eddie into a standing position. It left him groaning and dripping blood onto the ground as you slowly made your way to his trailer. 

“That guitar solo was totally awesome Eddie,” you said to him, trying to keep him awake. If he totally collapsed you wouldn’t be able to carry him. 

“Master of Puppets, new song,” he mumbled and you nodded. 

“Maybe you can teach me guitar someday,” you spoke as you tried to get him over the threshold. You could see the portal out, you could see your friends. 

“Fuck!” You screamed as you used all of your waning strength to lift Eddie over the threshold and into the trailer. 

“Come on, we got this,” Dustin encouraged you, and you used what felt like the last of your strength to push the three of you through the portal to your awaiting friends. 

There was a commotion, at first. Joyous excitement at seeing you and hysterical, relieved laughter. And then it was silent. You were panting as you examined Eddie’s wounds. He wouldn’t make it unless you used your powers on him, and used them right now. But you were so tired after that stunt earlier and then carrying him through. You weren’t sure if you could do it.

“Come on, Y/N, you got this,” Dustin laid his hand on your shoulder and you felt like you drew some energy from him as you lifted your hands and hovered them over Eddie’s bleeding body. You breathed in through your nose, and out through your mouth as you focused your healing powers on your hands. Your hands were glowing as you focused on the throat and torso wounds.

“What the hell-” Steve started, but Dustin hushed him.

“Get over here, man,” your brother reached out and pulled the older boy over, and you felt his larger palm lay softly on your bicep. 

“What am I doing?” Steve asked, maybe rhetorically, but he stopped when the glowing got brighter and the wounds started closing up. “Holy shit. Nance, get over here. Robin, you too.” Soon more hands were being placed on your skin and you drew upon them to give a last ditch effort to heal the worst of Eddie’s wounds. You wouldn’t be able to heal all of them, you realized as black spots started invading your vision. But it would be enough. You let out a soft sigh as the glow from your hands faded, and you let the black dots consume you as you fell backwards into your soft, dark subconscious. 

“Eddie?” You asked, fiddling with the ring on your pinky finger. It was a nervous habit. 

“Yes, princess?” The two of you were hiding underneath the bleachers at a football game. You were cheering when you started having an anxiety attack, and that’s why you came under the bleachers. 

“Why are you at a football game? Not that I’m not grateful to see you,” you added quickly. He only chuckled.

“I have a few buyers that like to meet here. Plus I get to see you in that cute uniform,” he winked and you were glad it was so dark under here that he couldn’t see your blush. 

“You’re such a shit,” you laughed breathily, still not sure why you were filled with anxiety after a few cheers. 

“Maybe so, but you like it,” he shrugged and you blushed even harder. You did like it. “You have to wake up now though.” Suddenly he was serious, and your memory changed. 

It wasn’t Eddie’s pale skin and long, curly brown hair you were looking at, nor were his signature warm brown eyes looking back at you.

The man in front of you had a glowing tan, shoulder length blonde locks and glowing golden eyes. 

“You have to wake up now, Y/N,” his voice multiplied and echoed around you. “Your friends need you.”

You gasped and jerked up, unsure where you were. 

“Whoa, calm down, kiddo,” you looked around for the unfamiliar voice. “You need to lie back down, okay?” A firm hand pressed down on your shoulder and you realized you were in an ambulance.

“Where’s Eddie? And Dustin? Where are my friends?” The emergency responder looked across you at his partner and raised his eyebrows. “Where is my little brother?”

“Two of your friends left in ambulances, like you. The others will be meeting us at the hospital. Which one was your brother? Maybe we can identify him,” the female was trying to be more understanding. 

“He’s shorter than the rest, he has a condition. Brown hair, blue eyes. Might have been wearing a camp t-shirt,” you were frantic, you were sure your heart was going to beat out of your chest. 

“I think he went in a car with an older boy, similar description but tall. Sound familiar? And two girls maybe about your age,” the female spoke again and you sighed, a little relief breaking through your tension.

“I know them.”

You laid back down on the cot thing and tried to relax as they checked your vitals. It was strange, seeing your dad in your memory. You can’t remember ever having seen him but you knew it was him. 

By the time you got to the hospital and into a room, Dustin came to find you. Steve, Nancy, Robin, and Lucas were with Max who apparently was pretty broken up. 

“Who is with Eddie?” You wondered and Dustin looked down at his shoes. You frowned. “Why am I here? I’m fine?” You made to get up on your shaky legs just as an employee walked in.

“Whoa there, little lady. Why don’t you sit down,” he smiled at you, and you narrowed your eyes.

“Don’t talk down to me. You can’t hold me here. I want to see my friend,” he raised his eyebrows at your attitude, though you couldn’t leave yet because he was blocking the door.

“Miss, I’m going to have to ask you to calm down. You fainted and you look pretty shook up. Who is it you’re trying to see?”

“Eddie Munson.” The man’s eyebrows raised into his hair.

“I’m afraid-”

“You should be,” you growled and pushed past him, Dustin’s apologies towards the young doctor or nurse following you, but his footsteps were faster. 

“That was crazy!” Dustin was looking up at you with wide eyes. “I mean the thing with the doctor but also in the Upside Down! You… you just turned into a huge ball of light and killed all of the demobats. And then your dad? And then you healed him!” He was rambling, he knew about your powers but hadn’t really seen them in effect ever.

“I also saw my dad in my dream. He spoke to me,” you looked down at Dustin. “I don’t think I would have woken up if he hadn’t been there,” you whispered.

“That’s crazy,” he whispered back as you headed towards Eddie’s room. Luckily Dustin had asked about him when he came in to see you. 

Eddie looked… Well he looked better than before. But he definitely looked worse for wear. 

“Who are you?” The nurse in the room asked and you panicked.

“I’m his girlfriend,” the words came out so fast you didn’t even have time to look at Dustin’s narrowed eyes.

“And I’m her brother. He’s one of my friends,” Dustin added and the nurse eyed the two of you. You were still in your bloody sundress, probably looking a little crazy. 

“Please let us stay,” you begged, tears coming to your eyes at the thought of Eddie being alone. The boy the town hated, who nearly sacrificed everything to save the town. 

The nurse nodded softly, eyeing you up.

“Visiting hours end at nine.” You nodded in confirmation and hurried over to Eddie’s side, reaching out to grasp his hand gently. 

“Girlfriend, huh?” His lips were dry and his voice cracked, but you startled at the sound of his quiet voice anyway. 

“Um, I sort of panicked and I wasn’t sure what else to tell her so she’d let me stay,” you muttered. You were lucky to have a good brother, because he scoffed right before announcing his exit.

“I’m going to check on Max. Glad you’re okay, man,” he said before departing. 

“You could have said you were my sister,” he replied, finally opening his bloodshot eyes. 

You paled, and gulped with a suddenly dry throat.

“Uh, yeah. Probably. I’m sorry.” He only let out a huff of a breath, maybe a laugh.

“I’m just joking, princess. I’m happy to see you in here,” he gingerly tilted his head towards you. “I might be in here a little while though, and I expect to hear all about your fancy powers and your mysterious father,” he raised an eyebrow, and you bit your lip.

“I can do that, I guess I owe you an explanation,” you sighed, he probably thought you were some sort of freak now.

“And I owe you my genuine thanks,” you blinked owlishly. What? “For saving my life. I wouldn’t have made it out without you,” you were grateful you were sitting down, because with your own fatigue and overuse of your powers, you were feeling weak in the knees already. Eddie’s words only made it worse.

“You would have done it for me,” you muttered, but he rolled his eyes.

“I would do anything for you, but I don’t have explosive sunlight-summoning powers or, also, like, healing hands? Plus you are an excellent shot. What is that about?” You kneaded his palm with your thumbs as you thought about your words.

“Do you remember when I told you my father didn’t take care of any of his kids? And how my mom didn’t want a freak child?” You asked softly, and he nodded. He hated bringing up your tormented past, but he needed to hear this.

“My dad has a lot of kids, and he is very powerful. And when I was a toddler, I saw a baby bird fall from a tree,” your eyes stung at the memory. “I couldn’t bear to see it suffer, and I knew the mom wouldn’t come back for it, so I… I healed its wings. And I set it back in the nest, and it was fine. But my mom saw me heal it and she freaked out. I don’t remember a lot from back then, but she was so afraid of me,” you looked down into your lap and let a few tears fall. 

“Hey, hey. Look at me,” Eddie whispered, and you drew your teary eyes up to meet his. “I’m not afraid of you. And none of your friends are. What you did was amazing. You slayed the demons, and you saved my life. I can never repay you,” you shrugged at his words.

“You don’t need to repay me. I would do anything for you,” you whispered, still making eye contact. His pale cheeks had a gentle blush across them from your words. 

“Those are bold words for someone who isn’t actually my girlfriend,” he smirked, a little of his old charm coming back, but you only looked into your lap. “What’s wrong, pretty girl? I’m only messing with you. Trying to lighten the mood.” 

You frowned. You felt that he had done the exact opposite. He had darkened the mood. Because you’d been wishing to be his since high school. And now you just felt stupid. 

“Princess?” You bristled at his question. Just his nickname for you. Nothing else. All you wanted in this world was to be his. And what did you get? You were given up by your mother, your father basically mass-abandoned his kids, you had a cursed hometown, severe anxiety, and you what now? Eddie Munson mocking you for pretending to be his girlfriend to get into his hospital room. 

“I need to go back to school. I’m going to have such terrible grades this semester,” you moved to stand, but Eddie gripped your hand, frowning.

“What’s wrong?” He was serious, you could tell, but you didn’t want to spill your secrets to him.

“Nothing’s wrong, Eddie,” you argued, though you savored the feeling of his hand around yours. 

“Then why are you trying to leave like this? After everything?” He was pouting, and maybe he genuinely felt bad that you were trying to leave while he was in this state after you’d nearly killed yourself trying to save him. Maybe that was what kept you there. Maybe it was the fact that you were so tired of hiding your feelings that you had to get them out. Or maybe it was the sheer exhaustion from overusing your powers that made you sit down again. Whatever it was, you sat down next to Eddie’s bed, and you let him hold your hand. 

“Please, tell me what’s wrong,” he pleaded. 

“Do you remember when I saw you last? Before I left?” You asked, and he looked confused, but he nodded.

“You said ‘I’ll miss you, Henderson. You’re one of my closest friends.’” You looked down at your lap, your pretty sundress drenched with blood, your tears now dripping onto it. 

“And I meant it, I did miss you. I always have.”

“But I didn’t go there that day to smoke or reminisce. I knew I was leaving, and I wanted you to come with me. I wanted to tell you… I wanted to say how I felt… About you,” you whispered, and the hand holding yours squeezed a little tighter. 

“What’s that, princess?” His voice was low and soft, and you looked up to see his eyes shining, too. Maybe with unshed tears, you didn’t know. 

“That I’m in love with you. And I have been for a long time. I had a crush on you for so long that when it evolved into something else it just felt natural, but I was scared to ruin what we had. And when I asked you to meet me that last time, I wanted to tell you how I felt and beg you to come with me, but you told me I was your closest friend, and I knew I couldn’t say anything,” you were openly crying at that point, and you couldn’t look at Eddie’s bruised and shocked face anymore, so you pulled your hand away and covered your face with both of them. You sniffled and cried into your hands for only a moment before you heard Eddie’s pained groan. You looked up to see him sitting up on the bed, legs slung over the side. You immediately stood to tell him to get back on there, but he grabbed you by the hips and pulled you in between his legs. 

“You are my closest friend, but that doesn’t mean I’m not madly in love with you,” Eddie’s voice had gained some strength. Your eyebrows shot up into your hair and he smiled at you. “Maybe you should have told me how you felt, but I should have, too. I’d had my eyes on you since freshman year, but I was sure I didn’t stand a chance. And then when we started hanging out and spending more time together, I didn’t want to come on to you in case you didn’t feel the same. I didn’t want to lose you. And then I did, you left and I couldn’t call you or see you at all,” he frowned as he stroked his hands up and down your arms. “I was heartbroken when you were gone. I knew you hated this place, but I didn’t know everything you were going through, and it hurt.”

“It hurt me too, Eddie. I wanted to call you, but I couldn’t bring myself to. Not after what you said and how I felt, and not after I finally got out of this cursed place. I’m sorry,” you whimpered, and he brushed a tear off of your cheek. 

“And what now? We’ve declared our love for eachother, you saved my life with your magic powers. What now?” You pursed your lips, pretending to think about it.

“I think we should kiss now, and also maybe you should be my boyfriend,” you added on, and he chuckled at your antics before leaning in and brushing his lips against yours. His lips were chapped and dry, and you were sure you tasted like blood and dust. Despite that, it was magical, and when he tangled his fingers into your hair and pulled you closer, you could have swooned. You rested your hands gently on his waist, careful not to hurt him, and slipped your tongue into his mouth. 

“Get a room,” Steve called from the doorway and you leaned back a little to scowl at him.

“We’re in a room, dumbass,” you countered and he gasped, putting his hand over his heart.

“You wound me, Henderson. I’m just here to tell you I’ll bring Dustin home,” he added and you blushed.

“Oh, thanks,” he nodded and looked over at Eddie.

“I’m glad you’re okay, man.” Eddie gave him a little smile and nodded, though when Steve left he turned back to you. 

“I wish we could cuddle and make out because I feel like I have been missing out on a lot of that,” you spoke quietly, and Eddie gave you a quick chuckle. “But I don’t think I will be awake much longer after using my powers so much, and I don’t think it would be very comfortable for you,” you added, nodding your head at the assortment of bandages on his body. 

“Soon, princess. Don’t you worry. As soon as I’m out of here, I’m gonna be stuck to you like glue. You’re gonna wish you could get rid of me,” he grinned and you let out a peal of laughter. 

Charles Xavier:

Charles’s office, specifically the couch, has been your home for some time. Although it has only been a few days, two at most, but it felt like years. Hours spent sitting specifically in the couch’s corner where anyone entering wouldn’t notice you right away. Reading and taking your place as secretary more seriously makes time move in a slower fashion.

“Would you grab that book for me?” Charles asks, slapping you out of whatever deep thought you were currently drowning in.

At first these little tasks he asks you to do seem to come randomly. As if he just remembered you were there and felt bad. In reality he’s probably been in the outer layer of your mind for longer then you’ve been in the office.

Ignoring these facts, you focused on your work. It had spread quickly through the school that you were open and able to grade anyone’s homework or papers. Like the rest of your current life, these were taken care in Charles’s office. A place you’ve been bent over for hours until a phone call held your attention.

Charles is a pretty decent liar. Between his history with authority and with children, he speaks with enough confidence that it’s not worth thinking about. Obviously he still had his tells, even if the person he was lying wasn’t in front of him, he still looked down and go quiet for a second.

“No, I’m afraid we haven’t heard from her.” When he starts his lie, his tells are typically gone. “Yes, we will absolutely contact you if she comes here. And, in the event of that happening, I ask that consider our relationship before deciding anything.”

You don’t say anything when he hangs up. Instead deciding that to grab that book before he asks you to.

Erik Lehnsherr:

Erik was nice enough not to say or ask anything at first. Your few items in a bag, and all your savings spent on bribing a boat captain to take you here. All this was written on your face, practically screaming that you don’t want to talk about it.

“Is anyone going to be coming?” was the only thing he asked.

Instead of a verbal answer you shrugged with a shake of your head. Maybe…

Erik uses the excuse of an escort to keep a hand on your back, around your shoulders. Even gently on the back of your neck to ask his question in a whisper. Although Genosha was supposedly a sanctuary to all mutants, you were still an outsider. An outsider who had, not only, caused destruction but just might bring down the anger of the world onto them.

“You came here quickly, then.” Erik says, in leadership mode. Sitting across from you, elbows on his knees, looking almost into you.

“You guys aren’t exactly hiding,” It wasn’t a good joke but still you blow air out of your nose, trying to force a tiny laugh.

“Then why come here to hide?” He asks.

When the answer you give is another shrug (I don’t know…) he sighs. Standing and returning with a hot cup of beverage. A kettle had either been set before he stepped out to greet you, or one was constantly kept a little warm. Either way it was somewhere between tea and coffee, but definitely not both.

“What did you do?” he asks.

It took some time to tell the entire story. Skipping too many details about the fear and anger that all came at you at once. Erik has heard it all before in much worse amounts. Only admitting that you were wanted, so many were hurt or completely destroyed by a lapse of control.

He doesn’t interrupt or ask any other questions. He just listens and keeps an ear out for helicopters.

Raven/ Mystique:

At some point you were taken to the hospital with the other survivors. The journey was hard to remember; being placed on a bed and tossed around in the back of an ambulance. Pretending to be just as out of it as the others, really just avoiding eye contact with the paramedics.

It’s nice to think that you had a plan for when you got to the hospital, and you kinda did. With all the people coming in at once there was the chance you’d be left in the hallway or an open area to wait for a bed. In the event of that happening you could just roll over and walk out. Just walk with confidence and make it out the door.

That you were now restrained in a bed in your own room meant that plan was out the window. Laying back and letting the nurses check you out with shaking hands. Just enough to check you over but not enough to pretend to be doing their job.

“It’s fine,” The nurse says, practically slamming the room door shut behind him. It wasn’t a thick door; you could still hear through it. “Please don’t make me go near it again.” He says to someone in the hallway, probably a doctor or some other superior.

It isn’t until their talking has mostly stopped that you bother trying to escape. Your restraints were soft but also tight, something that you couldn’t slide out of easily. Rocking the bed, trying to tip it over, would just leave you dangling off the side. Still strapped in but with bruises and staring at the floor.

While thinking of another dashing escape plan the door opens again. A nurse steps and gently closes the door behind her. This one was a woman nurse, so far you’ve only been dealing with males. It was likely because of the threat you posed that it had only been men. Specifically, the biggest nurses and orderlies that were available.

Because of this you watch the woman as she walks over. She was a small woman with brown hair in a bob cut, the white uniform and a smile she held while pulling the curtain around. You were smart enough not to say anything until she did. Or until she shifts entirely from white uniform into blue skin, immediately pulling at your restraints.

“Hey, Hi. Babe, I’m sorry…” You have a million things to say at once.

All the words fighting to be the first to be said. All ignored by your girl, who just places a gentle hand over your mouth and whispers a shhh. Going back to the restraints and whispering:

“Don’t say anything,” She says, opening the first and reaching over to get the next. “Let’s just get out of here.”

You quickly pulled the faded green scrubs over your clothes. Raven placing a surgical hat on your head and mask over your face was the best she could do. Raven quickly becoming the bobbed hair nurse again. She nods at you, as if to say, “everything will be fine.”

Peter Maximoff:

So much energy coming out at once has to take it out form somewhere. What was a splitting headache a second ago became a massive weight. One that dragged you down from the standing position and towards the floor. Only to be caught by arms that were not there a second ago.

It wasn’t that Peter was “harboring a fugitive,” or was “obstructing justice” he was just helping out his girlfriend. Something that he has argued about with several people.

“I don’t believe this was done on purpose, Ser.” Professor Xavier says into the phone, staring at Peter as he did. “No, she still has yet to reach out to us. To any of us. The moment she does we will tell you.”

Peter makes a face and shrugs when the phone is hung up. “I don’t see why they need her. It’s was an accident, she said sorry, I don’t see what else there is.”

Professor Xavier doesn’t seem to bother asking where you are. Peter wouldn’t tell him, and he could easily find you with cerebro.

“Is she safe?” He asks, wanting whatever truth Peter was willing to give.

“I mean, I don’t know where she is, but she safe. I think, yeah, she’s safe.” He says. Smart enough to help you vanish but not enough to know better then to lie to a telepath.

Hank McCoy:

Like a little kid you’ve chosen the staircase banister to hide behind. Either hand holding onto a separate bar, looking out between them. Your spot was strategically placed far enough away from the door that they wouldn’t see your details through the banister. As far as they were concerned you were just a curious kid. A very big curious kid.

“They” were the people Hank was currently handling at the door. It had been only two days since the incident and it’s amazing it took them this long to reach your door. Three men in suits and a woman in a white coat knocked at your door just after lunch.

Sending the students from the hall Hank took control of the situation. Never outright telling you to leave the main hall but did make a similar “shoo” gesture that he gave the kids while telling them to make their exit.

Although the distance gave you an advantage it also kept you from hearing what was being said. The men on the other side weren’t giving enough body language to tell if they were upset or not. Only one seemed to be talking, the others were moving side to side on their feet. If Hank were to move too far to one side or the other they’d try and make their way inside.

“They don’t have a right to take you, not legally or in anyway.” Hank had reassured you hours earlier.

It started to get tense on the other side of the room. One of the men giving up on waiting for an opening and trying to make one himself.

Hank’s change can happen slow or it can happen so fast you don’t even realize it. The friendly approach of a regular human at the door was abandoned the moment they showed aggression. Blue arms and baring teeth made all three jump, reaching for their hips. The woman in white, the seeming bravest of the group, steps forward. A hand reached out, but the door is slammed in her face.

Jean Gray:

Life is confusing and everyone is screaming.

At first their screams were sympathetic; they were screams of fear and pain. But after hearing them non-stop for several minutes it’s hard to feel bad. It was almost like they were doing it on purpose. Like, if they just shut up for one second you could figure what was happening.

They didn’t, though, they wouldn’t shut up. Distracting you from the indestructible bubbles creating and growing in the walls, machines and skin. Expanding and tearing everything apart.

There’s two other voices among the screaming that stands out: the first is the loudest. It’s the purest form of anger and fear that could ever be made. It was also the most annoying, if that one person would just shut-the-fuck-up you could probably think. The other voice is the only one not screaming. It wasn’t sweet or kind like it was before, it was harsh and stern. Power behind the voice making it louder then a scream ever could be.  

It was pretty obvious whose voice was yours and who’s belonged to Jean.

Jean’s voice was like that. It was powerful, it was a strict father’s and a commanding mother’s combined. If she wanted to, she could make it impossible to escape her voice. She uses this power of voice now: Where your ears can’t take any information, but your mind was burst open and unprotected.

You never understood what she was saying completely. Only that it was nice, and that it made everything go black.

Logan/ Wolverine:

More than half the population of earth is smarter than Logan. He’s more than willing to admit that, but what he did know was not to poke an already agitated bear. That’s all you were in that moment. A very pissed off bear sitting in the corner of a glass square.

It honestly wouldn’t have been that bad if Peter hadn’t compared it to the cages Magneto had been in. That was when everything seemed to become real for you.

This was only way that there wouldn’t be an absolute hunt for mutants. Your containment in exchange for a lie told by the Secretary of Defense to the entire world. That, no, there was not “mutant attack”, this was an unexplained, isolated incident. One that was now being held in the basement of a government building until your fate is decided.

“Are you allowed to smoke in here?” You ask, picking at the bottom of your white scrubs.

“I didn’t see the signs.” He says, waiting for someone to dare and yell at him about the cigar.

Instead of asking for the cigar verbally you raise a hand towards one of the small breathing holes. He slides it towards you, butt first. Only giving a little direction on how to puff the thing instead of straight up inhale it.

Smoking anything while stressed was a good way to start a bad habit. Something Logan tried to keep you from. Given the situation, he allowed the nicotine high you were gonna get from working on the thing. It was another test for this place. A test to see just how long or how many little rules he could break before someone yelled at him.

Not that he would ever use this knowledge for selfish means. It was just good to know when things would start to go south. Not that the Professor gave him permission, he just didn’t tell him not to.

Kurt Wagner:

Any pictures or footage taken of you during the incident were stolen straight from hell. That was the only aspect anyone cared about; the ones where you were wild and there was nothing in your eyes except for uncontrolled power.

No one thought about the few seconds after the incident. That instead of power there was confusion and fear. Staring at your hands and into the world looking for answers.

That scene only lasted a few seconds. Long enough for the blue devil to match your hell appear and disappear with you.